November is a time when those of us in the United States take pause to remind ourselves of and express gratitude for the positive aspects of our lives. It’s also a time when we in the global education community recognize and celebrate our achievements in the pursuit of international education. In a world challenged by division, misinformation, a global pandemic, and misunderstanding, the importance of international education cannot be underestimated. I have tremendous gratitude for the efforts that you have invested in preparing the global leaders of tomorrow, especially when faced with tremendous hurdles and uncertainties. In this issue of the Global Educator Newsletter, we celebrate International Education Week and some of the ways that we’re recognizing this important annual occasion. Thank you for all that you do toward cultivating a more globally-prepared generation! Be well and stay safe.

Tara M. Hofmann
President & CEO
AFS-USA, Inc.

AFS-USA wants to celebrate YOU and your school. 

 

The AFS-USA Global Educator Award recognizes the individual efforts of a school administrator, counselor, teacher, or instructional coach that demonstrates global and cultural competence and shares this passion and learning with their students. Do you know an educator in your building or district that deserves recognition for the global efforts that they put forth? Recognize their efforts through a nomination for this award.

The AFS-USA Global School Award celebrates the efforts of a school that has initiatives and programming that prepare students for a global and interconnected world. If your school is committed to cultural diversity and has global competence built into the everyday work with students, nominate your school today!

The 2022 AFS-USA Global Awards winners will receive their awards in person at the annual AFS Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Conference in Alexandria, Virginia in March 2022. At that event, they will be recognized and get to learn about various countries and cultures from AFS staff and volunteers from around the world!

Professional Development & Opportunities for Teachers

International Education Week (IEW) 2021 is November 15-19! Are you ready?

Let AFS-USA help you with your IEW plans this year! Alumni from the Department of State’s Youth  Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program are ready to Zoom into your classroom and share about the country where they studied abroad, the fully-funded scholarship that they earned, and the amazing experience that changed their life. Spark your students’ curiosity about the world and inspire them to study abroad! Register here to set up a free live cultural and informational presentation* with a YES Abroad alumnus! Have questions? Contact the AFS YES Abroad staff with at [email protected].

(Countries include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey) *Presentations do not have to occur during IEW.

Do you know what this picture represents?

Register for the free Global Competence Certificate program with AFS-USA to find out! Educators from China and the U.S. will learn together about culture, communication styles, educational systems and more! Become a global citizen so your students have a model. Register today to join this exciting opportunity! Counselors, administrators, and teachers of all grade levels and subject areas are welcome to sign up! Space is limited so apply now to reserve your spot!

Join AFS-USA at the 2021 ACTFL Virtual Convention!

This year we have two sessions to support educators. “When Global Competence Met Social Emotional Learning” is an on-demand session showing the overlap between how those two sets of needed skills overlap and how to embed them in a language classroom. “Interactive Intercultural Learning (ICL)” allows you to participate in three activities that you could use tomorrow or build into a future unit to integrate ICL into your language classroom. Interested in a similar session at your local conference, school, or department meeting? Let us know what you need! We’d love to help!

Opportunities for Students

 

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program provides scholarships for eligible American high school students and recent graduates to live with host families and attend a local high school for an academic year in countries that may include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey. Students promote mutual understanding between the U.S. and the host country by forming lasting relationships with the local community.

Students should start their application now at YES-Abroad.org! The deadline to apply is December 8, 2021 at 4:00pm Eastern. Download and share this digital flyer in your classes or school and give your students the gift of a fully-funded intercultural experience that will change their life!

 

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program provides scholarships for eligible American high school students and recent graduates to spend an academic year of study and cultural immersion in Germany. Scholarship recipients will gain a new perspective on global current affairs and German social, economic, and political life, all while learning the German language through language lessons, day-to-day life in the culture, attending a local high school, and living with a host family.

The CYBX application is open now and the deadline to apply is December 1, 2021 at 11:59PM Pacific. Download, share, post, or email this digital flyer to all of your students and encourage them to get started today!

 

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program provides scholarships for eligible American high school students and recent graduates to learn critical languages in summer and academic-year overseas programs . The program focuses on language instruction, while providing participants with cultural experiences in the host community and sparking a lifetime interest in languages and cultures. Summer and academic year programs are available for Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish.

​​​​​​​The NSLI-Y application is open now and the deadline for students to apply is November 9 at 4:00pm EasternDownload and share this PDF copy of the brochure with all of your students today as the deadline is near!

 

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Abroad provides scholarships for eligible American high school students to engage in a fully funded exchange experience in Kazakhstan, Poland, or Ukraine. FLEX Abroad participants will spend an academic year immersing themselves in the host culture by living with a host family, going to a local high school, and engaging in activities with their peers, all of which will develop their global competency and break down stereotypes across borders.

​​​​​​​The FLEX Abroad application is open now and the deadline for students to apply is December 8, 2021 at 4:00pm Eastern.

Download and share this brochure with ALL of the scholarships available.

As we approach International Education Week 2021, stay tuned for more exciting ways to connect with classrooms and educators abroad. We have some exciting opportunities in the pipeline and look forward to sharing them with you very soon! Want a sneak peek? Check out this tweetWhat is YOUR why and how can AFS-USA help you achieve it? Connect with us and let us know!

Jill Woerner
Director of Educational Outreach
AFS-USA, Inc.

E: [email protected]
P: (646) 381-3309

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